Tom Jones fan Max Verstappen told to stick to Formula One day job after 17th win of season

SAO PAULO – Max Verstappen was revealed to be a Tom Jones fan on Sunday, after the three-time Formula One champion followed up his

pole-to-flag Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory

with an in-car rendition of the Welsh singer’s 1967 hit Green Green Grass Of Home.

The song was played over the team radio after the 26-year-old’s record-extending 17th win of the season, with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner encouraging his laughing but reluctant driver to sing along on the victory lap.

“The old house is still standing, though the paint is cracked and dry,” warbled the Dutchman, after previously warning – with reason as it turned out – that he was not a good singer.

“Radio Red Bull” turned out to be his only fail of the day.

“Just don’t give up the day job,” Verstappen was told. “I think I’m better at that,” he replied.

Horner explained later that the driver and his father Jos used to listen to Jones’ songs over and over again in the car while travelling to go-kart races around Europe during his youth.

“It was the most unlikely song,” said the Briton, whose wife Geri rose to fame with the Spice Girls. “But Jos told me in Qatar (where Verstappen won his third title).

“I said ‘what’s his favourite song?’ He went Green Green Grass by Tom Jones. He was off on it. He knew all the words.

“Obviously after the Spice Girls I was thinking he would be totally into Ed Sheeran or somebody, a contemporary of his age range. But Tom Jones?”

There was a less jovial mood at Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff slammed the car’s performance on Sunday, claiming it was akin to a three-wheeler and “does not deserve to win” a race this season.

A visibly shaken and angry Wolff said the performance in Sao Paulo, where they won in 2022, was “inexcusable”.

Lewis Hamilton struggled home eighth and George Russell, victor last season, retired. McLaren’s Lando Norris was second and also set the fastest lap, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso rounding off the podium.

“I don’t have words for that. That car finished second last week and whatever we did to it was horrible,” said Wolff.

“Lewis survived out there, but not George – I can only feel for the two driving such a miserable thing.

“It shows how difficult the car is. It’s on a knife’s edge. We’ve got to develop it better for next year because it can’t be that within seven days you finish on the podium as one of the two quickest cars and then you’re nowhere near finishing.”

Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: “That car almost drove like it was on three wheels – not on four. This car doesn’t deserve a win. We need to push for the last two races and recover.”

Hamilton, who drove conservatively to preserve his tyres, said: “It didn’t feel as disastrous as yesterday when I literally had no tyres left – they were worn to zero and I feel like I drove a better race in terms of managing the tyres.

“There are moments it works and moments it doesn’t and it’s so inconsistent... And we are so slow on the straights and really slow on the corners.”

Ferrari’s drivers were also downcast after Carlos Sainz battled to sixth and Charles Leclerc crashed on the formation lap and failed to start the race.

The Monegasque blamed his exit on an issue with his engine that affected his steering and hydraulics system, and said he might fly to the holy town of Lourdes before the next race in Las Vegas on Nov 18 to try and end his run of bad luck.

“It’s so annoying because in the second half of this year I’ve finally found confidence in the car – and then you sacrifice a whole weekend for the race and you do six corners and that’s it.”

Asked about his plans, he added: “I’m going to go to Los Angeles, but maybe I’ll move my flight to go to Lourdes beforehand to get a bit of luck – otherwise it will be just Los Angeles for a week.”

Meanwhile, race organisers have committed to fix safety failures after spectators stormed the track before the end of the race.

Stewards said in a statement that a large group of spectators had accessed the run-off area at Turn 1 while cars were still on the track.

Interlagos is one of the most atmospheric on the calendar and track invasions after the race have become common, even with no Brazilian drivers. REUTERS, AFP